Winless Ones to Watch 2024/25: Part One

In truth, Juventus De Brion was the first name I had on my provisional list having been notably eyecatching on both of his starts last season. 

He made his racecourse debut at Exeter as a raw four-year-old against far more experienced rivals and yet he had his supporters in the market, eventually going off at 11/2. 

Ridden wide and with patience, the race was dominated by those that raced prominently. Only Juventus De Brion was able to make up ground from off the pace, eventually finishing a never-nearer third. 

It was a highly encouraging run from a debutant, and one that left the impression he would improve for the experience and for stepping up in trip. 

He missed a couple of intended engagements due to unsuitable ground (good, heavy) before eventually reappearing at Ascot in a competitive novices’ hurdle previously won by the likes of Dashel Drasher, Sporting John and Yala Enki. 

Sent off at 18/1, he was ridden in a similar style to Exeter. And, yet again, he finished a distant third with the 1-2-4 having been in the front three throughout the majority of the race. 

That looks a strong piece of form: The winner, Pic Roc, is now rated 132 and finished second in the EBF Final. Runner-up Inthewaterside finished third at the Aintree festival and is also rated 132, while the fourth home, Vincenzo, is now on a mark of 120. 

It was notable that before the race, Dan Skelton noted in a blog that “it wouldn’t be the end of the world” if he is still a novice next season and that “a full season of novice hurdling would be ideal”. 

All being well, that is exactly what they’ll get. He has been given an opening mark of 120, which would make plenty of appeal if going down that route, but I suspect he will stick to novice company in the early stages of the season to gain experience. 

Quite how far he can go remains to be seen, but he should be more than capable of winning a maiden/novice. Given connections, I can envisage high-quality handicaps being on the agenda once he acquires the necessary experience. 

Paul Nicholls often has a strong squad of juvenile hurdlers and last season was no exception, with the likes of Kalif Du Berlais, Kabral Du Mathan and Liari leading the way. 

It’s well known that Nicholls takes a long-term view with his juveniles, with them achieving a fair level of form in their younger years before excelling in the future. 

Tutti Quanti was held in high regard coming into last season, and while he didn’t achieve as much as the other aforementioned Nicholls-trained juveniles, his novice status over hurdles remains intact, which is highly advantageous. 

Once-raced in France, he came from off the pace to finish a creditable second in a race that has worked out well. The winner, Kit Raffles, won next time out while the third and fourth have won multiple times since. In fact, the fourth, Diyashal, beat in a Listed chase. 

Purchased thereafter for Colm Donlan, we had to wait until January to see him make his British debut, which came in maiden hurdle at Taunton. 

Racing against his elders, he travelled smoothly into the lead but just failed to repel the challenge of Joyeuse, a well-regarded mare who is out of a half-sister to Epatante. 

The form is somewhat difficult to assess, as neither the first or second have been seen since but the third, Into The Park, did win his next two starts and is now rated 125. 

Perhaps, considering Tutti Quanti was in receipt of 13lb from Into The Park, an opening mark of 125 for Tutti Quanti is on the harsh side, even accounting for his solid French form. 

But he’s unlikely to run in handicaps at the start of the season and I think he can take high rank as a Novice. Described by Paul Nicholls as “next year’s horse” when discussing whether or not he’ll run at Cheltenham, he’s seemingly held in high regard at Ditcheat and the experience he’s accumulated should hold him in good stead.  

Katy Price’s stable star in recent years was undoubtedly Minellacelebration; owned by Nick Elliott, he won eleven races under rules, including the Summer Cup, reached a peak mark of 152 and was still winning races at the grand age of twelve. 

His accomplishments will be tough to replicate, but the trainer/owner combination ran a couple of promising types in bumpers last season: Lagertha, who would have been a worthy addition to this list and is one to note in her own right, and Peacenik, who the trainer labelled in an Instagram post as “our new stable star of the future”. 

Peacenik made his racecourse debut in a heavy ground bumper at Exeter against some well-regarded types, including the much-vaunted Teeshan. He was no match for that rival, but he was a clear second and ran a race full of promise, making great headway from off the pace despite signs of greenness. Katy Price has only ever had one bumper winner: Lucca Lady in 2017, who already had three bumper runs in Ireland before joining the yard. Prior to Peacenik, only one of her twenty-six bumper debutants had placed, highlighting the significance of this performance. 

He shaped similarly on his second and most recent start, staying on from off the pace to chase home a ready winner. On both occasions he has proved he handles heavy ground, which bodes well for the future. 

While he is a half-brother to a two-mile hurdle winner and has shown a degree of pace thus far, he will undoubtedly be better over further; by Mount Nelson, he’s out of an Old Vic mare who is half-sister to the dam of Next Destination – all of which screams stamina. 

He’s reportedly 17.2hh, so we can expect to see him over a fence in time. I may be going a year early on Peacenik when you consider Katy Price’s strike rate with hurdlers is 4.8% and 11.4% with chasers, but he clearly has a lot of potential and is undoubtedly an exciting prospect for a small team. 

In the 10 seasons prior to the 2023/24 season, operated at an impressive 24% strike-rate in bumpers, and you would have made a 14% ROI backing them blind to a level stake. But last season proved less fruitful: in those ten seasons, he the lowest number of bumpers winners was three; but the 2023/24 season produced only one winner. 

With that in mind, my interest was piqued by Robby, who shaped very well on his sole bumper start last season for all that a second of four finish in a heavy ground Carlisle bumper wouldn’t leap off the page. 

In heavy ground, Robby was settled in last while the experienced favourite, Gamesters Guy, led at a steady tempo. 

As the race began to develop, Robby made smooth headway as the others struggled to go with them. Gamesters Guy led going best as Robby was driven, but he kept on well in tough conditions for a debutant despite wandering across the track, finishing a clear second. 

The winner had already shown a good level of bumper form, winning on debut before finishing third in a strong race at Aintree on Boxing Day, while the well beaten third had also run to a good level in two previous starts. 

All in all, this was an encouraging debut and Nicky Richards did have President Scottie finish third in the same race the previous season; and he would enjoy a good novice hurdling campaign which included two wins. 

Robby is from a family that Nicky Richards knows extremely well. He has trained all six sons/daughters of the dam, whose progeny include Rubytwo, Amberose and most notably, Nells Son. With that in mind, he should develop into a useful novice hurdler and shouldn’t have an issue staying two-and-a-half-miles, although I suspect he may start over two miles. 

Second in two Irish point-to-points behind a couple of smart types, shaping very much like a stayer, Tommys Law was snapped up for £75,000 by Lucinda Russell. 

I’m sure it was more than just his encouraging point-to-point form that inspired the purchase, as Tommys Law is out of a half-sister to Do It For Dalkey and from the family of Silver By Nature; both trained by Lucinda and flourishing as staying chasers, with Silver By Nature reaching a peak mark of 156. 

And hopes were high for Tommys Law coming into last season – Jodie Standing, author of the superb “Point-to-Point Recruits” which is published ahead of each season, highlighted him as one to keep a very close eye on. 

He was subsequently sent off 3/1 for his rules & bumper debut on heavy ground at Carlisle, but could only manage a distant 5th. It’s easy to forgive that run given the conditions, and clearly all was not well given that wind surgery and a 117-day absence followed. 

Switched to hurdling with a tongue-tie fitted, another heavy defeat followed but he took a notable step forward to finish second at Ayr next time out, staying on well over two-miles. The form is modest but it was a run that augured well for the future. 

Last seen at the Perth festival in late April, he would have been an impressive winner of a Novice Hurdle if a certain Willie Mullins hadn’t been in the process of securing the British Trainers’ Title. Tommys Law was no match for the useful Stoke The Fire, who won easily, but Tommys Law did at least try and make a race of it in finishing a respectable second. 

With an opening mark of 112, I expect Tommys Law to make an impact in handicaps particularly once stepped up in trip. He will be of strong interest over fences should connections decide to go down that route – and I hope they do given his point-to-point experience and his pedigree.